Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins' Best Booking Options for WWE Clash of Champions

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins had to happen, and now it's been booked.

The announcement came on the Sept. 5 edition of Raw, and it was not a surprise. All of this stems from KO's shocking WWE Universal Championship win in a match that saw Triple H return and Pedigree Rollins.

That led to Owens' victory and this rematch, both of which are good ideas.

Owens and Rollins will steal the show at Clash of Champions on Sept. 25; there is no doubt about that. The New Era of WWE is no joke. This is not only about the future of the company, but about today as well.

Owens and Rollins are two of the key players in this storyline, as they both have a lot to offer WWE. Many fans grew up watching Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock, and now Owens vs. Rollins could become the feud that entertains the next generation of fans.

Of course, the booking must be right for that to happen. So how does WWE handle this one?

The Match

The match itself will be top-notch. Fans know this, and they expect it. Anything less from these two would just not work and would disappoint everyone watching. The action will be fast-paced and intense, because that's the style Owens and Rollins have both become known for.

It's the WWE style now, and it's perhaps best described as athletic chaos.

But just because that athletic chaos has become ubiquitous does not necessarily mean it should have a place in this match. At the very least, this match needs to be more evenly paced. Establishing a good pace is easier said than done, but it's a must for Owens and Rollins.

The reason for that is simple: WWE cannot afford anymore injured Superstars.

Finn Balor's recent injury is the reason Owens vs. Rollins is happening in the first place, and that cannot be ignored by the company. However, this is not to suggest that Rollins is indeed responsible, as some fans believe.

But at some point, WWE must come to the realization that the risks outweigh the rewards here. Popping the crowd should take a backseat to Superstar safety, and that needs to begin with Owens vs. Rollins. There is no harm in slowing down and telling the story. Both men are very talented storytellers.

They should come out of this on their feet and be ready for the next match.

The Story

So what is the story here?

This is where it gets a bit complicated, as Triple H's betrayal of Rollins should mean an automatic face turn for him. But is that what happened on Raw? Rollins said all the right things, and he seemed open to the crowd's approval for the first time since The Shield, so maybe he's made the turn.

But WWE is notorious for booking heel vs. heel and face vs. face. For some reason, giving fans a hero and a villain to cheer and hate, respectively, is something WWE Creative doesn't always believe is a good idea. Rollins will play the hero in this one of course, but it will mean more if he spends the next few weeks building his new babyface persona.

However does all this mean Owens is The Authority's new guy? For that matter, does The Authority even exist anymore? 

This is another opportunity WWE has to get the booking right, because not only should Rollins' role be clearly established, so should Owens'. If Triple H's involvement in KO's title win was a statement to build Owens up as the next top guy, so be it. If it was done to get Rollins out of that spot and keep Roman Reigns away from it, then fine.

Or if Triple H is going to throw his full support behind Owens and it's all leading to The Game vs. Rollins, then that works too. The possibilities are endless here, and WWE has many different ways to go.

But the narrative should be clear by the time Clash of Champions happens. That narrative should indeed revolve around replacing Rollins with Owens and focusing on keeping the universal title around Owens' waist.

It's a storyline that could stretch beyond Sept. 25, and Rollins vs. Triple H would be a great way to wrap it up.

The Winner

But who should go over?

Common sense says Owens retains the title here. He's another indie circuit star who's made it, and he's put the work in since arriving on WWE's main roster. The fans pop for him, he gets over every time he's on TV, and he's a great heel.

He should stay right where he is.

But if Triple H has indeed endorsed him as the future, what's to stop Stephanie McMahon from endorsing Rollins for the same role?

With an in-between Stephanie backing an in-between Rollins against her heel husband's heel chosen one, the point gets lost. But is that the point? Will all of this confusion end with Reigns sliding in the back door and re-establishing himself as a title contender?

Credit: WWE.com

Is all of this just an attempt to once again get him over?

Raw ended with Reigns confronting Owens, and he was booed out of the building for it. Mick Foley responded to Reigns' frustration with Owens by booking the two next week. So if Reigns beats Owens on the Sept. 12 edition of Raw, he punches his ticket for a Triple Threat title match at Clash of Champions.

But that is not the right move here.

Reigns' cause has not been helped by WWE's insistence on booking him in main event matches. He has not had the opportunity to work his way back up, and that means he has not had the opportunity to truly get where WWE obviously wants him to be.

WWE may indeed choose to go through with the Triple Threat match, but fans will likely want nothing to do with it.

WWE needs to stick with Rollins vs. Owens because they can make it work. But this should be Owens' match, and he should indeed keep the universal title. Despite the unpredictability of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, this should be less about them and more about the guys in the ring.

Owens and Rollins could very well have the next great rivalry in WWE, but that means Clash of Champions should happen as originally announced on Raw. It's too important for the brand and too important for the guys involved. 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.